By Jake Hornstein & Greg Hill, Our Children Have Rights (OCHR)
Parenting plans with children birth to age 5 require unique considerations. What about parenting plans for teenagers 15-18? A parenting plan governs the relationship and decision-making between parents and the child(ren). It addresses issues such as education, health care, and time-sharing.
Decisions-making outcomes vary. Plans may designate one parent with authority over all decisions, certain types (education, healthcare), or there can be shared decision-making. With shared decision-making, communicating and conferring on key issues is expected. If disputes arise, parents revert to the parenting plan. Developing effective plans for teenagers has its own unique considerations:
COMMUNICATION & SCHEDULES:
- Teenagers are busy…they have friends, jobs, sports, and other activities.
- Does the plan fit each co-parent’s schedule? Or does it fit the schedule of a teenager?
- Teenagers like to spend time with friends. Where are the friends? Are they closer to one home and much further from the other? Is it best to have a “primary home?” Five days with one parent, and two days with the other? Or two weeks with one parent and one week with the other?
- Does the plan address communication between parents?
- What about methods of communication? Text, email, phone? None of the above?
- Does it require a co-parenting app for communication?
- Is there a required “response time” to hold each parent accountable? 24 hours? Two days?
- Decisions should be well coordinated. Teenagers benefit by seeing co-parents work as a team.
DEVELOPMENT & EDUCATION:
Teenagers undergo development changes, both physically and emotionally. What if behavioral issues arise? What if a specialist suggests intervention through medication? Is this a health care decision? Who decides?
Education and post-high school plans become more important. Does one parent prefer trade school vs. a university? Who decides? Who pays? Is there a provision that caps tuition payments for one parent? Does the plan even address decisions made at 15-18, which carry over to age 19-22? (PAUSE) For readers who think they stumped us because by age 18 the child is an adult…we know that!!!
While it’s no longer a custody matter, commitments to pay for things post-18 DO happen. Parenting plans are extremely important, especially when there’s conflict. If disputes arise, the plan usually dictates the outcome. Knowing what to consider while building a plan with teenagers can be the difference between successful co-parenting or ongoing disputes (and angry, resentful teenagers!).
Our Children Have Rights serves children by helping parents navigate child custody and co-parenting, at no cost to the family. We’re on a mission…a mission to protect the rights of children to have access to both responsible parents by providing education, resources, and support services for successful co-parenting. Why? Because Our Children Have Rights.
Contact Jake at JakeHornstein@OurChildrenHaveRights.com or learn more online at www.OCHR.Org. To donate: www.ourchildrenhaverights.org/donate